Electronic transaction processing systems may utilize a payment terminal. The payment terminal can include a payment reader with corresponding circuits that are used to process payment transactions and interact with payment devices such as a payment card having a magnetic strip that is swiped in a magnetic reader of the payment reader, a payment device having a Europay/Mastercard/Visa (EMV) chip that is inserted into a corresponding EMV slot of the payment reader, and near field communication (NFC) enabled devices such as a smartphone or EMV card that is tapped at the payment reader and transmits payment information over a secure wireless connection.
In a situation where the payment reader has a limited power supply, such as when a battery is used, the continuous powering of the payment reader during times of inactivity can shorten the operational life of the payment reader, i.e., the time the payment reader can be used before recharging of the battery is required. This shortens the amount of time that the payment reader can process payment transactions before requiring additional charging, which may itself take a significant amount of time. To extend the operational life of the payment reader, the payment reader may transition into an “off” mode, for example, due to a user input (e.g., a button press) or after the expiration of a period of inactivity. In some instances, the payment reader may require the execution of a boot process from the off mode before it begins operation to process payment transactions.
The initiation of the boot process to transition from the “off” mode can occur when the payment reader is needed to process a payment transaction. It may be desired for the payment reader to complete the boot process as quickly as possible in order for the processing of payment transactions to begin. When the power supply has a low power level a brownout condition may occur, particularly during times of high current draw such as during the boot process. In some conditions this may occur even if an external power source (e.g., an AC or DC power source) is attached to the payment reader, for example, while the battery is charging. In some instances the boot process may not be able to complete, such that payment transactions may not be processed for an extended period of time.